New Course Underway at White Oak Plantation

Arnold Palmer and his team at Palmer Course Design recently celebrated the groundbreaking of White Oak Plantation in Tryon, N.C. The new resort development features a championship layout by Palmer and his golf architecture company.

"Mr. Palmer and Palmer Course Design were the perfect fit for designing the course at White Oak," said Michael Savidge, managing partner, White Oak Developers.

"The Palmer name is synonymous with beautiful, enjoyable golf courses that look challenging but are playable for every skill level. With the area's stunning landscape and the team's vision for creating memorable golf courses, we knew we wanted White Oak Plantation to have a Palmer-designed golf course as its centerpiece."

The course at White Oak Plantation will be a semiprivate, par-72 core layout in the foothills of western North Carolina. The 7,300-yard track will be designed as a “stadium” course. The course will incorporate White Oak Creek and home sites situated atop surrounding hills to create a natural amphitheater. White Oak Creek will enter play on nearly every hole, with 15 of the 18 greens overlooking the stream. A waterfall will be showcased on the 16th hole.

According to Palmer Course Design project coordinator David Couch, the landscaping at White Oak Plantation will resemble a lush garden with flowering trees and plants throughout the course. "We have a gorgeous piece of land with stunning natural elements to work with for the golf course at White Oak," said Couch. "The land is already set up for golf. We are simply adding the features to create a golf course."

The new course is anticipated to open for play in spring 2007.

Palmer Course Design has nearly 300 active projects and open golf courses in 38 states and 23 countries. The company applies fundamental design elements to any style of course. For more information about Palmer Course Design, call 904/285-3960 or visit www.palmerdesign.com.